Measuring and protecting means for fabrics.



No. 795,741. PATENTED JULY z5, 1905.

D. B. STRIGKLAND. MBASURING AND PROTECTING MEANS PoR FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2Q, 1904.

-in the bolt.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NIASURING AND PR-OTECTING MEANS FORiFABICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 19C 5..

Application filed August 20, 1904. Serial No. 221,457.

To a/Z/ whom, it muy concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL B. STRICKLAD, Y

accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofl reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to measuring and protecting means for fabrics,and more particularly to a strip adapted to be rolled or folded in theroll or bolt of fabric for the' purpose of protecting the fabric fromsoiling and also enabling the salesman to measure .therefrom the desiredpurchase and to accuraly ascertain the quantity remaining unsoHeretofore fabrics such as ribbons have usually been put up forsale in aroll or bolt in which a strip of paper of approximately the same or ofslightly-greater width is rolled with the ribbon. From this bolt theribbon is sold as required. In making sales large quantities of ribbonare frequently exposed, and considerable portions of each roll areunwound, displayed, and a little sold. The greater part, however, isrewound and returned to the shelves and inspected. When a purchase ismade, no matter if from a partial or from an entire bolt, the first salemade makes it impossible thereafter to determine accurately the amountof ribbon remaining In consequence as successive shoppers examine thegoods it becomes necessary to measure the amount remaining many times.During the measuring the protectingpaper is usually separated from theribbon or fabric, which soon becomes soiled and damaged from thehandling'. After a short time, though no further sales be made from thebolt, it is necessary to reduce the price to enible the same to be sold,thus entailing great oss.

The object of this invention is to provide a measuring and protectingstrip which may be constructed of paper, thin cloth, or any suitablematerial adapted, if used with fabric such as ribbon, to be woundtherewith into the roll and with certain other fabrics to be folded withthe same into the bolt and enabling the salesman to cut therefrom theexact amount of the purchase and to determine instantly by inspection ofthe end of the strip the amount still remaining unsold.

It is also an object of the invention to afford means whereby oneemployed to inspect sales can readily determine the amount of the salefrom examination of the portion of the strip which accompanies thefabric purchased.

The invention consists in the matters hereinaftr described, and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 14 is a plan view of a bolt of ribbonhaving a portion of the strip unfolded and exposed for view. Fig. 2 isan enlarged fragmentary detail of the strip. Fig. 3 is an enlarged viewof the roll with a portion of the measuringstrip exposed, showing thesame after sales have been made.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates as a whole the roll or bolt ofribbon or other fabric in which the ribbon or fabric is wound into aroll with a measuring-strip B of the same length and constructed ofpaper, cloth, or other suitable material. As shown, the width of thefabric is slightly less than the strip, though obviously the width isnot material. Said measuring strip is graduated with a linear scale onopposite margins and from opposite ends, one margin, as shown, havinglunits of measurements thereon and the other units and fractionsthereof, as yards, halves, quarters, and eighths, or lowerdenominations, and, if preferred, with the metric scale, so that thescales at opposite margins of the strip' read oppositely, one indicatingthe exact amount of goods remaining in the bolt, while the other is-used by the salesman to measure the purchase from the bolt. As shown,said strip is ruled, marked, or creased transversely at each of thedivisions and fractional denominations, and from one margin of the sheetat each of the transversal rulings a diagonal line is drawn to theopposite margin to the transverse ruling at the unit of distance or oneyard therefrom. Said diagonal lines beginning at the extremity of thestrip are each marked between the transverse lines in theirrorder by adistinctive characterwfor example, the first eight letters of thealphabet should the denomination yards be used and by the first tenletters of the alphabet if the metric system should be used. Ifpreferred, diagonal lines may be in a like manner drawn from theopposite.

end of the strip and also may be marked diS- tinctively in any suitablemanner, if desired,

and are herein indicated as dotted lines and the characters omitted toavoid confusion.

The operation is as follows: Vhen it is desired to cnt a portion fromthe bolt or roll, the ribbon or fabric, with the strip, is unwoundtherefrom. in sufficient quantity, and if, as indicated in Fig. 2, thediagonal line A terminates at the extremity of the strip the theopposite end of saidline will indicate one yard. If more than one yardis required, it is only necessary to look across the strip to the linecorresponding with the letter and tracing thereon the number of spacesbetween the transverse lines required and cut therefrom the quarter,half, or whatever fraction may be required. In this manner whatever thenumber of yards or fractions required the measurement is all done on theline or lines A or that extending to the end of the strips, thereby, ineffect, making the end of the strip wherever cut the begining of anotherunit, and by following the diagonal line commencing thereon any furtheramount may be measnred without computing fractions. By inspection theclerk can immediately see the amount of the purchase and the number ofyards remaining in the bolt. In the same manner should the line E or anyother ter- Ininate at the extremity of the strip the measurements ifperformed upon said diagonal line for the respective purchase must ofnecessity be accurate, and the amount cut off and the amount remainingin the bolt can be known at a glance either by the inspection of the endof the strip remaining in the bolt or the portion of the strip cut o,which is passed to an inspector with the purchase. The strip is woundwith the purchase, also affording a measure for the purchaser.

l have shown but one of several methods of embodying my invention, andtherefore do not purpose limiting myself otherwise than necessitated bythe prior art and stated in the claims, as obviously many details ofconstruction and arrangement may be varied without departing from theprinciples of my invention.

I claim as my inventionl. A measuring-strip for the purpose specifiedhaving on its margins oppositely-reading linear scales and markedtransversely to indicate the units and fractions of the unitofmeasurement and diagonal lines each indicated by a distinctiveV letterand extending a unit of measurement longitudinally of the strip andterminating at opposite margins of the strip.

2. A measuring-strip having linear scales marked on its margins andreading from opposite ends thereof, transverse lines extending acrossthe strip and marking the units, and fractional units of measurement,diagonal lines connecting the opposite extremities of transverse lines,which are a unit distance apart and distinctively marked by characters,corresponding in number with the fractional divisions of the unit.

3. A measuring-strip for the purpose specified having indicated on itsmargins and reading from opposite ends of the strip linear scales inyards and fractions of a yard, lines extending across at the pointsindicated on the scales and indicating fractional divisions of a yard,diagonal lines indicated by as many consecutive characters as there arefractional divisions used, and each commencing at the margin of thestrip on one of said transverse lines and extending to the oppositemargin at the transverse line, a yard therefrom and oppo-l`sitely-arranged diagonal lines similarly arranged adapted to read fromthe other end of the strip.

4. A fabric rolled or folded with a measur ing-strip, comprising a stripof material of equal length with the fabric and marked with linearscales on opposite margins and reading from opposite ends, linesextending across the strip and indicating the units and fractional unitsof measurements and diagonal lines also extending across the strip andterminating on said transverse lines one yard apart at the margins andmarked by distinctive characters and each marked at each transverse lineindicating the fractional units of a yard.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL B. STRICKLAND Witnesses:

HJALMAR S. RUDD, W. W. WITHENBURY.

